Machine for butt joining the longitudinal edges of thin,flat workpieces



Dec. 15,1970 ORTEL 3,547,735

MACHINE FOR BUTT JOINING THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THIN FLAT WORKPIECESFiled Md'rh 24, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 "\nmnnn nrl JULJUUUUUUFiledf-March 24. 19s? 7 Dec. 15, 1970 5 QRTEL 1 3,547,735

, MACHINE FOR BUTT JOINING THE LONGITUDINAL ED GES .QF" THIN FLATWORKPIECES 3 Shet s-Sheet' z INVENTOR. fiArfiA/m Dried Filed March 24.1967 G. ORT .MACHINE FOR BUTT JOINING THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF" THINFLAT WORKPIECES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent O 3,547,735MACHINE FOR BUTT JOINING THE LONGITU- DINAL EDGES OF THIN, FLATWORKPIECES Gerhard Ortei, Torfweg, Rietberg,

Westphalia, Germany Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 299,223,Aug. 1, 1963. This application Mar. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 625,820

Int. Cl. 327g 11/00; B29c 27/26; B65h 21/00 U.S. Cl. 156-440 18 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for joining longitudinal joints offlat, thin workpieces such as veneers, or the like is provided. Themachine includes a feeding device to move the veneers through themachine. A pressure roller is located above the feeding device to pressa connecting thread onto the veneers that are fed through the machine. Athread feeding device is mounted on a swing arm located in front of thepressure roller to supply thread to the pressure roller for applyingacross the joint of the abutting veneers moving through the machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a machine forjoining the longitudinal joints of flat, thin workpieces such asveneers, sheets of paper or the like, comprising a feeding device forthe workpieces passing through the machine and a pressure roller or thelike arranged above the feeding device for pressing a gummed connectingmeans onto the veneers and is a continuation-in-part of my copendingapplication Ser. No. 299,223, filed Aug. 1, 1963, now U.S. Pat. No.3,326,736, and embodies improvements in the art thereover.

PURPOSE OF INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to providea machine for gluing together fiat workpieces which works only with oneconnecting thread extending on both sides of the abutting joint edges.Apart from a good and strong connection this machine also ensures a highefficiency while avoiding the hitherto known disadvantages.

It is another object of the invention to provide a machine for reliablyjoining the longitudinal joints of two fiat workpieces such as veneersor the like, wherein the provision of a swivel lever with a guidingdevice permits a thin gummed connecting thread to be applied, saidconnecting thread being alternately placed onto the marginal regions ofboth abutting workpieces and firmly pressed and stuck thereon by afollowing pressure roller.

Still another object of the invention resides in the advantageousheating of the adhesive provided around the connecting thread, saidheating being effected within the guiding device while the thread ispassing through so that the thread with the soft adhesive can be placedin a favorable manner onto the workpieces to be joined and subsequentlypressed thereon by the pressure roller in a simple and reliable manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Several embodiments of the invention willnow be described by way of example and with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine for joining the longitudinaljoints of veneers or the like comprising feed disks mounted in aworktable and an upper pressure roller preceded by a threadguidingdevice;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of two veneers or the like joined by a threadlaid in serpentine form;

3,547,735 Patented Dec. 15, 1970 FIG. 3 is a top plan view of twoveneers or the like joined by a thread laid in the form of loops;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a machine forjoining the longitudinal joints of veneers or th like;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an arrangement for guiding the threadand of the drive of the machine; and

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section through the swivel arm of the guide andheating tube and the heating device.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, in a worktable10 of a machine for joining and/or gluing together the longitudinaljoints of flat workpieces such as veneers or the like two plate disks11a and 11b are arranged to rotate in opposite directions and presstogether the edges of the veneers (not shown) passing through themachine so as to form a tight joint. A guide rail 10a ensures that therun-through direction of the veneers is straight-lined. Above theseplate disks 11a and 11b a pressure roller 12, mounted on a head 16 ofthe machine, is freely rotatable and heated in such a manner that itsouter rolling surface has a temperature of for example to 250 C.

This pressure roller 12 is preceded by a guiding device 13 for a thread15 or the like, for example in the form of a funnel or eye mounted infront of the rotatable rolling surface of the pressure roller 12. Aneccentric drive 14 or the like mounted on the machine head 16 isprovided with a push rod 17 which is coupled at its free end with theguiding device 13, thus forming a swivel arm for moving the guidingdevice 13 to and fro transversely of the run-through direction of theveneers. The thread 15 which is fed from above from a reel or the like(not shown) passes through the guiding device 13 and, by the movementthereof, is placed in serpentine form on the two veneers 18 and 19 (cf.,FIG. 2) lying closely against each other. This thread 15 whichpreferably is a multifiber thread, for example a glass silk thread orthe like, is previously wetted or coated with an adhesive so thatafterwards in an almost dry or completely dry state it adheres to thesurface of the veneers 18 and 19 passing through the machine by simplyrolling it on said surface with the aid of the heated pressure roller12. Thus the thread 15 firmly sticks to the veneers 18 and 19.

The adhesives which come chiefly into question are known as contact orsynthetic adhesives which need not be moistened directly before they arebrought into contact with the veneers but adhere to the wood on beingsubjected to pressure and heat without however penetrating the wood. Theresiliently mounted pressure roller 12 can easily adapt itself toveneers of different thicknesses, the lower plate disks 11a and 11bcompensating for any slight differences between the two veneers by levercompensation or the like so that the multifiber thread 15 is spread asflat as possible and stuck on the veneers. The shape of the serpentinelines is determined by the speed at which the veneers pass through themachine and the number of strokes of the eccentric drive 14.

A thread 15 stuck in this manner holds the joined veneers 18 and 19tightly together. It can be stuck either on the back of the veneers oron the front side thereof from which it can be ground off quickly.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show two ditferent ways in which the thread can be placedon the veneers. The curves or loops of the thread engage the neighboringveneers 18 and 19, fitted tightly together for example every 5 to 20mms., and extend over the edge zones thereof in the form of a wavy line,loops, in zigzag shape or the like.

A machine of modified construction for sticking together longitudinaljoints of flat workpieces such as veneers or the like (cf., FIGS. 4 and5) has a worktable 20 above which a lateral upright 21 extends whichcarries a machine head 22 in the region where the work is carried out.Mounted in a support 23 at the underside of the head 22 of the machineis a freely rotatable pressure roller 24 which together with the support23 is adjustable in height by means of a retaining rod 25 and handwheels26 or the like which can be screwed on the retaining rod 25 and bearagainst the machine head 22.

In the worktable 20 below the pressure roller 24 two plate disks 27 and28 are arranged to rotate in opposite directions and press together theveneers 40a and 40b passing through the machine so as to form a tightjoint. The two plate disks 27 and 28 are preceded by a guide rail ofvery small wall thickness which is fixedly con nected to the worktable20 and extends on the central axis between the two plate disks 27 and28. This guide rail in the region facing the plate disks 27 and 28 isfirmly connected with a holding down device 29 which is in the form of aresilient pressure plate such as a leaf spring or the like so that thispressure plate can be vertically moved.

The guide rail 30 serves to accurately position the veneers 40a and 40bin their directions of movement. The veneers are pulled along the guiderail 30 by the plate disks 27 and 28, held in the same plane by theholding down device 29 without tilting or overlapping each other andpressed together by the plate disks 27 and 28 so as to form a tightjoint.

Passing through the head 22 of the machine in longitudinal directionthereof is a guiding device which extends in front of the pressureroller 24 and comprises a guide and heating tube 38 which is mounted insuch a manner that it is pivotable about a vertical pivot axle 36 bymeans of swivel levers 37. At its lower end this guide and heating tube38 is bent towards the pressure roller 24 so as to form a swivel arm38a.

The upper funnel-shaped supply end of the guide and heating tube 38 isprovided with a connecting piece 39 into which lead-in wires 39aconnected with the electrical equipment of the machine and coming out ofthe upright 21 end.

As shown in FIG. 6, the guide and heating tube 38 is provided with acentral convection tube 46 extending on the longitudinal axis of theguide and heating tube 38 and consisting of a material having good heatradiating properties, such as quartz or the like. On the one hand, thisconvection tube 46 serves as a guide for the connecting thread 51passing therethrough and, on the other hand, it transfers the absorbedheat to the connecting thread 51 which is provided with an adhesive.This convection tube 46 is flush with the lower bent and narrowed swivelarm 38a of the guide and heating tube 38.

Over its entire length the convection tube 46 is sur rounded by aheating coil 47 or the like to which the leadin wires 39a are connectedand which, when in a heated state, transfers its heat energy to theconvection tube 46. The space between the heating coil 47 which may be aheating wire, heating band or the like and the guide and heating tube 38is filled with an insulating material 48 which serves to secure theheating coil 47 in position and prevents the heating coil 47 fromgetting into contact with the guide and heating tube 38.

This thread guiding device 35 is advantageously provided with the guideand heating tube 38 which, on the one hand, guides the connecting thread51 in a favorable manner and, on the other hand, heats the thread in asimple way so that the adhesive around the connecting thread 51 becomessoft to a certain degree.

By means of the swivel levers 37 the guide and heating tube 38 swingsaround the vertical pivot axle 36 in such a manner that the swing pathof the swivel arm 38a extends transversely of the run-through directionof the veneers 40a and 40b, thereby moving the swivel arm to and fro.The swinging movement of the guide and heating tube 38 is effected by aneccentric drive 41 having a push 'rod 42 which is preferably linked tothe lower angular swivel lever 37. This eccentric drive 41 issynchronized with a drive shaft 44 of the plate disks 27 and 28 throughthe intermediary of an interposed driving machinery 43.

The connecting thread 51 is preferably in the form of a multifiberthread, for example a glass silk thread, and, prior to Winding it onto areel 52 or the like, it is wetted or coated with an adhesive. Thisconnecting thread 51 is fed from the reel 52 rotatably mounted on theupright 21 over a feed rod 53 through the guide and heating tube 38 ofthe guiding device 35 and gets at the lower bent swivel arm 38a into theregion of the veneers 40a and 40b and the pressure roller 24. By meansof the heating device the guide and heating tube 38 is subjected toheating, the heat being transferred to the connecting thread 51 passingthrough the guide and heating tube, thereby heating the thread andsoftening the adhesive. While the two veneers 40a and 40b are runningthrough the machine the bent swivel arm 38a of the guide and heatingtube 38 swings to and fro in a certain region above a butt joint 54 ofthe flat workpieces such as the veneers 40a and 40b and thereby placesthe connecting thread 51 in a certain form, e.g., in the form of a wavyline serpentine line, loops, in zigzag shape or the like, onto theveneers 40a and 40b and the following pressure roller 24 presses theheated connecting thread 51 with the softened adhesive firmly onto theveneers 40a and 40b. The connecting thread 51 ensures a good and safeconnection without considerable protrusions. The extent of the swingingmovement as well as the accurate adjustment of the thread guiding devicein the region of the butt joint (centrality) can be determined by meansof an adjusting screw 55 on the machine head 22.

The entire machine head 22 including the guiding device 35 and thepressure roller 24 is mounted on the upright 21 so as to be verticallyadjustable relative to the latter. This vertical adjustment to ditferentthicknesses of the veneers is effected by means of a lever system, forexample an eccentric lever 56 or the like on the machine head 22, acontrolling device such as a pilot lamp 57 or the like indicating theaccurate vertical adjustment.

The fine adjustment to the thickness of the veneers is ensured by thevertically adjustable pressure roller 24. Moreover, this verticaladjustability of the pressure roller '24- compensates for any unevennesswithin the veneers 40a and 401).

A switchboard 58 attached to the upright .21 includes adjustment devicesand pilot lamps or the like and constitutes the main installation forswitching the machine on and off.

The machine as proposed by the invention is of simple construction, easyto handle and favorably of small size.

The great advantage of the invention reside-s in achieving highrun-through speeds for the veneers to be glued together while achievingat the same time a very strong connection. Moreover, the machine asproposed by the invention involves considerably less costs of labor andmaterial than the machines hitherto known.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A machine for joining the longitudinal joints of flat, thinworkpieces such as veneers or the like, comprising a feeding device forthe veneers, a pressure roller arranged above said feeding device forpressing a connecting thread onto the veneers, a swing arm arranged infront of said pressure roller and capable of swinging across the jointof the abutting veneers, and a thread feeding device carried by saidswing arm guiding the thread to said pressure roller.

2. A machine for joining the longitudinal joints of fiat, thinworkpieces such as veneers or the like, comprising a feeding device forthe veneers arranged to pass through the machine, a pressure rollerarranged above said feeding device for pressing a gummed multifiberconnecting thread onto the veneers, a swing arm arranged in front ofsaid pressure roller and capable of swinging across the joint of theabutting workpieces, a thread feeding device carried by said swing armguiding the gummed multifiber connecting thread to said pressure roller,and an eccentric drive for moving said thread feeding-device, saidthread feeding device being at least partly constructed as a heatingtube.

3. A machine according to claim 2, wherein the thread feeding device isin the form of a funnel.

4. A machine according to claim 2, wherein the thread feeding device isin the form of an eye.

5. A machine according to claim 2, wherein superposed swivel levers areprovided for moving the guide and heating tube with a lower swivel armabout a vertical axis'of rotation.

'6. A machine according to claim 5, wherein the guide and heating tubeis in parallel with and somewhat spaced apart from the axis of rotation.

7. A machine according to claim 6, wherein an angularly shaped swivellever is hinged to a push rod of the eccentric drive.

8. A machine according to claim 7, wherein the swinging movement of theswivel lever is adjustable.

9. A machine according to claim 8, wherein the guide and heating tube isprovided 'with a central convection tube serving as a heating device andconsisting of a heat radiating material, a heating means is in contactwith said convection tube and an insulating material is provided betweensaid heating means and the guide and heating tube, thereby holding theheating mean-s in position.

10. A machine according to claim 9, wherein the heat radiating materialconsists of quartz.

11. A machine according to claim 9, wherein the heating means comprisesa heating coil.

iii

12. A machine according to claim 9, wherein the heating means comprisesa heating wire.

13. A machine according to claim 9, wherein the heating means comprisesa heating band.

14. A machine according to claim 9, wherein electrical lead-in wires forthe convection tube are connected to an upper funnel-shaped end regionof the guide and heating tube, which end region projects from themachine head.

15. A machine according to claim 14, wherein the machine head isprovided with the pressure roller and the feeding device for theconnecting thread and mounted on an upright of the machine so as to bevertically adjustable.

16. A machine according to claim 15, wherein the machine head isprovided with a controlling device in the region of lever rodspermitting of the vertical adjustment, said controlling device servingfor precisely indicating the vertical adjustment.

17. A machine according to claim 16, wherein the lever rods areconstructed as an eccentric lever having a counterweight.

18. A machine according to claim 17, wherein a worktable is provided anda driving machinery is arranged below the worktable, said drivingmachinery synchronously driving the feeding device for the veneers andthe eccentric drive for the swivel arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,445,3l9 5/1969 Dawbarn 156177X3,459,612 8/1969 Lee et al 156 '93X 2,721,925 10/1955 Langer l56176X3,007,502 11/1961 Meissner 15688X 3,175,533 3/1965 Frydryk 15688X3,321,348 5/1967 Rupp 15688X 3,379,596 4/1968 Stutz l56440X HAROLDANSHER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

